March 27, 2004
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FUNSCH GAME-WINNING HIT IN GAME ONE EARNS SVSU A SPLIT WITH HILLSDALE

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Junior outfielder Joe Funsch (Clio, Mich.) stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh in game one and dropped a game-winning single into left field propelling SVSU to a come-from-behind, 5-4, win over Hillsdale. The Cardinals trailed 4-3 after six and a half innings as pinch hitter Danny Patterson (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) led off the home seventh with a single. Pinch runner Chris Hanna (Caledonia, Mich.) advanced to second on a passed ball and then stole third for SVSU, setting up a RBI bunt single by Justin Hanning (Lake Orion, Mich.) which tied the game at 4-4. After a sac bunt by Ryo Tahara (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview) moved Hanning to second, Chris Norton (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) walked and Funsch delivered in winning run. Steve Liebrecht (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) (1-1) tossed a complete-game and struck out six, allowing no earned runs. The Chargers big inning off Liebrecht was a four-run fifth inning which featured four runs on four hits and two Cardinal errors. SVSU scored one run in the second and two more in the fourth. Corey Krug (2-3) took the loss for Hillsdale allowing four earned runs and seven hits in 6.2 innings of work.
    The second game was a pitcher's duel with Hillsdale scoring two runs in the seventh for a 2-1 win. Freshman hurler Richard Lindquist (Tecumseh, Ont.) (1-2) threw six innings of one-hit baseball before allowing two earned runs in the seventh. He struck out six and walked none in a complete-game effort. Both teams banged out four hits apiece as SVSU was led by four players each recording a single. SVSU scored one run in the bottom of the seventh as pinch runner Mike Crawford (Lake Orion, Mich.) narrowed the gap after Kurt Neveau (Bay City, Mich./Central) opened the inning with a walk. Jon Straus (Beal City, Mich.) singled in Crawford and the Chargers brought in relief pitcher Dan Baker who earned his second save of the season by getting the final three outs. The Cards stranded runners on second and third with one out in the inning. Steve Kellerman (3-2) picked up the win for Hillsdale striking out three in six innings.

Contact: Ryan Thompson (989) 964-4053

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